Regimental & County Histories. Histories in book form exist for some state and U.S. regiments that served in the War of 1812. Adjutant-general rosters for the various states often provide a brief history of a regiment as well as a roster for the regiment. St. Louis Public Library owns histories in book form for various regiments from various states. County histories often list soldiers from that county who participated in various wars, including the War of 1812, and biographical sketches in such books often mention ancestors who participated in the the American Revolution and the War of 1812. We own book histories of the "Goodspeed" type for most counties in Missouri and Illinois, and for some counties in many other states east of the Mississippi River.

Some county histories and regimental histories have been digitized--try Google Books, the Internet Archive, or the HathiTrust for subjects of interest.

Lists of Impressed Seamen. One of the factors contributing to the outbreak of the War of 1812 was the involuntary impressment of American sailors and merchant seamen by British press gangs. Two NARA microfilm publications contain lists of impressed seamen: Registers of Applications for the Release of Impressed Seamen, 1793-1802, and Related Indexes [M2025- 1 roll]; and Miscellaneous Lists and Papers Regarding Impressed Seamen, 1796-1814 [M1839- 1 roll]. St. Louis Public Library doesn't own either of these items, but we can get them for interested cardholders through Interlibrary Loan [NARA microfilm sets are also available through the Mormon Church, and sometimes from a state archives or state historical society].

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 impressment records of interest have been digitized.

Records of Prisoners of War, Enemy Aliens, and Privateers. A War of 1812 soldier's Compiled Military Service Record may indicate that he was a prisoner of war during his time in the military. The microfilm set "War of 1812 Papers" of the Department of State, 1789-1815 [NARA series M588- 7 rolls] includes material on War of 1812 prisoners of war and on the registration of enemy aliens [British citizens living in the United States during the War of 1812]. Set contents include: Roll 1- Letters Concerning Letters of Marque and Enemy Aliens, 1812-1814; Roll 2- U.S. Marshal's Returns of Enemy Aliens and Prisoners of War, 1812-1815 [Part I]; Roll 3- - U.S. Marshal's Returns of Enemy Aliens and Prisoners of War, 1812-1815 [Part II]; Roll 4- Requests for Permission to Sail From the U.S., and Passenger Lists of Outgoing Vessels, 1812-1814; Roll 5- Correspondence Regarding Passports, 1812-1814; Roll 6- Agreements for Exchange of Prisoners of War, 1812-1813 & Miscellaneous Letters Received Concerning Prisoners of War, 1812-1815; and Roll 7- Miscellaneous Intercepted Correspondence, 1798-1814.

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 prisoner records of interest have been digitized.

Courts-martial Records. A War of 1812 soldier's Compiled Military Service Record may indicate that he was subject to a courts-martial during his time in the military. Proceedings of general courts-martial against both regular and volunteer War of 1812 soldiers are located in the Records of the Judge Advocate General [NARA Record Group 153]. Proceedings of general courts-martial against War of 1812 sailors and marines can be found in the Records of the General Courts-Martial and Courts of Inquiry of the Navy Department, 1799-1867 [NARA series M273- 198 rolls].

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 courts-martial records of interest have been digitized.

Discharge Papers. Discharge papers for an War of 1812 veteran of the U.S. Army, Navy, or Marine Corps may sometimes be found in his bounty land application file (housed at NARA-Washington, DC). The Records of the Adjutant General's Office [NARA Record Group 94] include some surgeons' certificates of disability issued to regular army soldiers during the War of 1812 [not microfilmed].

You can also check subscription services Ancestry.com and Fold3.com to see if War of 1812 bounty land records or surgeons' certificates have been digitized.

Compiled Military Service Records [CMSR] were compiled by government clerks from original muster rolls, pay rolls, etc. They cover soldiers who volunteered for duty in various military organizations raised by the states. Volunteer soldiers in the War of 1812 could enlist for a bewildering variety of terms of service: 30, 60, and 90 days; and 3, 6, and 12 months. It is quite possible, therefore, for a War of 1812 soldier to have served in more than one military organization during the war [and there will be a different CMSR for each military unit in which the veteran served]. CMSRs were recorded on cards which are kept in jackets (files) at the National Archives and Records Administration [NARA] in Washington, D.C. Most War of 1812 CMSRs have not been microfilmed. An exception is the CMSRs for the state of Mississippi, which are available in a 22 roll microfilm set [NARA series M678]. The rolls in this set are organized by regiment and then alphabetically. CMSRs for volunteer 1812 soldiers from other states have not been microfilmed. They can be requested from NARA.

You can now also check to see if one of the the subscription services (Fold3 or Ancestry.com) has digitized a CMSR of interest:

Indexes to Compiled Service Records are available on microfilm and book format in some libraries [see bibliography in Part IV for materials owned by St. Louis Public Library], from the Mormon Church, and from NARA.

A. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer War of 1812 Soldiers [NARA series M602- 234 rolls]. Listings are alphabetical by surname, and include name, rank, and unit or units in which the man served.

B. Indexes to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer War of 1812 Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Louisiana [NARA series M229- 3 rolls]. Listings are alphabetical by surname, and include name, rank, and unit or units in which the man served.

C. Indexes to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer War of 1812 Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina [NARA series M250- 5 rolls]. Listings are alphabetical by surname, and include name, rank, and unit or units in which the man served.

D. Indexes to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer War of 1812 Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of South Carolina [NARA series M652- 7 rolls]. Listings are alphabetical by surname, and include name, rank, and unit or units in which the man served.

Muster Rolls & Adjutant-General Records. In addition to the compiled service records maintained by NARA, the offices of state adjutant-generals and state archives sometimes maintain additional records pertaining to War of 1812 volunteer soldiers from that state. Rosters in book and/or electronic format exist for these states and territories: Connecticut; Delaware; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Mississippi; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Vermont; and Virginia. St. Louis Public Library owns many [but not all] of these state rosters of 1812 soldiers [see bibliography in part IV for details].

Lists of Missouri and Illinois War of 1812 veterans are also available online:

Enlistment Records. Some men enlisted in the United States Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, rather than in a volunteer military organization raised by a state. Records of such Army enlistments are available on a microfilm set, Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1789-1914 [NARA series M233- 47 reels], which is owned by St. Louis Public Library. The Register is also available from subscription service Ancestry.com:

St. Louis Public Library also owns various registers in book form of 19th century U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps officers [see bibliography in Part IV for details].

Pay and Account Books. Pay and account books for various volunteer military organizations are often in the collection of state archives. These records are sometimes reprinted in books or in periodicals [see bibliography in Part IV for details].

Monday, March 12, 2012

1. Gain control of Canada by capturing Montreal or Quebec, then force England to negotiate to regain it. Operations against British forces in Canada [1812-1814] were unsuccessful, forcing the U.S. in 1814 to adopt a defensive strategy.

2. Commission privateers [private vessels granted permission to seize British naval and commercial vessels and thus hamper the British war effort]. Much more successful than Canadian option: 500 privateers eventually seized 1,300 British prizes.

British Strategy in the War of 1812

1. The British early in the war blockaded American ports with 75 naval vessels, greatly reducing American imports and exports, and angering many residents of New England who were dependent on foreign trade for their livelihoods.

2. After Napoleon's defeat and abdication in 1814, British were able to begin a land offensive against the Americans. The British were able to burn Washington, D.C., in 1814, but were unable to reduce or capture Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor ["The Star-Spangled Banner"].

3. The British also began a campaign against New Orleans in an effort to block commerce on the Mississippi River. Two weeks after a peace treaty was signed by Britain and the U.S., a force of militiamen and Army regulars under Andrew Jackson decisively defeated a force of British regulars at the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815.

The following programs are sponsored or co-sponsored by St. Louis Public Library. All are free and open to the public. Program locations and dates listed below are correct as of 12 March 2012, and this list supersedes any list you may have previously received. Registration is required only if specifically noted.

Friday, March 23, 2012, 10 am-Noon—Civil War 24/7: Researching Civil War Soldiers & Regiments on the Internet. Buder Branch. Join us as Tom Pearson discusses free and subscription Internet sources of information on Civil War soldiers (USA and CSA).

Thursday, April 26, 2012, 10 am-Noon—Honor the Fallen: Finding Death & Burial Information for American Soldiers & Veterans, 1775-2012. Buder Branch. Join us as Tom Pearson discusses book, manuscript, microfilm, and Internet sources of information on the deaths and burials of American soldiers and veterans.